Several months ago I was driving down a deserted country road about 10 a.m. In
the middle of my lane standing facing my car was one of my favorite songbirds, a
Mourning Dove. It didn't move but just stood there--even as my car continued to
approach. I did everything I could think of to get the dove to move. I was
concerned another driver might hit it. It was either already stunned from being
hit by a car or injured or perhaps blind and deaf.

As I began to exit the car to see if I could help, there was a flash of wings as
a second Mourning Dove swooped down past me to the bird on the road. In an
instant they both took off and I watched as they both then flew gracefully in
unison to the safety of a limb on a nearby tree. They sat very close together,
like they belonged with each other. As tears welled up in my eyes, a sudden
feeling of spirituality and closeness to nature came over me as I realized I
witnessed something very special. There was no doubt in my mind that the second
dove came down to rescue the first one. It was just so awesome!

I told our vet of my experience and he said there have been accounts of
situations just like this reported before. He agreed it could have been stunned
by a car or been born with some physical problem and its lifetime mate was
coming to guide it to safety. The anti-bird people might say that it was a
coincidence or that they have witnessed acts of cruelty between birds so what I
saw could not have been caring as we think of it. They might also say that why
don't all doves assist each other if what I witnessed was an act of protection
or love? My answer to that is that every human is different and so is every
non-human--a vast mix of genetics, intelligence and life experience. We are
limited only by our own prejudices in coming to conclusions about animal
behavior.

Michigan's Doves In VERY SERIOUS Trouble--PLEASEHELP!!!

As I write this, I am told Rep. Susan Tabor in Michigan is spearheading
the campaign to make it legal in Michigan to hunt a long protected songbird, the
Michigan Mourning Dove. Former rocker Ted Nugent plans on holding a rally in
Lansing, Michigan on Nov. 4, 2003 to try to get HB5029 passed in spite of the
fact that the majority of the people in Michigan want doves protected as they
have been for many, many years.

The majority of hunters in Michigan have also been against hunting doves until
now. The doves dress out to 2 oz of "meat" and some hunters feel that they will
be subject to ridicule if they hunt a small songbird (and rightly so). However
there has been pressure on these hunters lately to join in on pushing for the
hunting of doves with the more radical hunters using scare tactics that if they
don't pass this ludicrous bill, their hunting rights will be taken away. Of
course this is silly.

I will spare our readers the outrageous details of the underhanded tricks being
committed in Michigan by this fringe element who it seems will stop at nothing
to be able to blow away this small bird of peace. These people threw democracy
out the window and want their own way no matter what. What kind of Americans do
this kind of thing or conduct themselves in this manner? Even many hunters are
embarassed by their tactics. Rep. Susan Tabor and Nugent should be ashamed of
themselves!! Their behavior reminds me of very spoiled children who have never
matured. The majority of newspapers in Michigan have even come out against
dovehunting. This issue has been fought before many times with the same
result--Michigan doesn't want them hunted!! Duh!

This gentle bird mates for life and will not take another mate if one is
killed. Studies have proven they are such a small target that many are wounded
and left to suffer. Many people I have spoken to from Michigan complain that
their own property rights are being violated by both legal and illegal
hunters and they don't want to give hunters more opportunities to cause
problems. Also, since doves like to sit on power lines if the shot is missed it
can take out a power line or transformer--this drives up the cost of your
energy bills, something no one needs!

Furthermore, the original part of the bill included a section that would put
ALLOF MICHIGAN'S WILDLIFE under the jurisdiction of the hunting
interests rather than keeping wildlife in the hands of the state legislature
(i.e., the people of Michigan)--that is like letting the "fox guard the chicken
coop." It would mean the hunters would decide what species is hunted, when and
how. This shows you how desperate, unpatriotic and ungodly these people are.
Integrity is obviously not part of their vocabulary. The last I heard they were
taking that part out of the bill as being too controversial.

Ladies and gentlemen, there are more members of humane societies all over the
United States than there are people who want to blow animals away for fun. All
we need to do is MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD FOR THESE GENTLE BIRDS!!! What I
find interesting, is that people such as Mr. Nugent who claim to be so patriotic
and pro-America always talk about our Second Amendment having to do with gun
ownership. Now I am not a lawyer or Bill of Rights expert, but what about the
Tenth Amendment to our Constitution? It reads:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor
prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or
to the people." What's the matter Ms. Tabor and Mr. Nugent, don't you like
that amendment??????????????????????????

If you live in Michigan: contact your state representative and state
senator and tell them to VOTE NO AND WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION ON HB5029. If
the bill passes, ask Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm's office to
please veto this bill.

If you are soon moving to Michigan or have a job that causes you to move
around from state to state (like a contract computer programmer for instance):
same as above and explain if you will be soon living in Michigan. You can also
remind legislators that unless they aren't planning on running for office ever
again (unlikely), most people who care for the doves will remember when they run
for another office. Animal people have long memories!

Non-Michigan Residents: You can still make your voices heard too--will
you ever travel to a state and spend your tourist dollars where the government
goes against the will of the majority of its own people? Do you live in a state
where doves are hunted and can you pass on any personal negative experiences
that dovehunting caused on your property? And how about supporting the basic
democratic principle that our country was founded on--the rule by the majority!

Write LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SUPPORTING THE DOVES!!!

More info:

The
dove bill is scheduled for hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 29th and will be
immediately voted on in the House on Tuesday, Nov. 4th.
Representative Tabor, chair of the House Conservation and Outdoor Recreation
Committee, intends to hold a "stacked" hearing on October 29th on HB 5029. The
hearing, however, has been reduced to a "technical formality" since Tabor has
confirmed that the bill will be put to a House vote on November 4th, the same
date she coordinated weeks ago with radical out-of-state interest groups to hold
a "rally" at the Capitol to push the dove bill under the guise of expanding
"hunter" rights.

Tabor has kept this committee schedule secret and only four days ago told a
reporter [Kurt Madden of the Community News] that absolutely "no timetable
exists for it to be reported to the House" for vote. This of course was not true
and she has kept this long-planned date off the official committee calendar and
quiet as long as possible, to gain advantage and avoid concerned citizen input
and participation.

2) Call and/or Email the members of the House Conservation and Outdoor
Recreation Committee. Request that they VOTE NO and WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION on HB
5029. See link to committee below for email contact info.

3) PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR TO CALL YOUR REP AGAIN ON MONDAY NOVEMBER 3RD
and remind them to VOTE NO on HB 5029. THIS IS OUR
COUNTER TO THE RALLY!
Get your family and friends to call as well...each "vote" counts separately. We
will also send you a reminder that day - check your email often.

Pawprints, Footprints & Animal Chatter (my editorials on
animal issues--if you email me please indicate in the subject column it is about
one of my articles so it doesn't get deleted as spam--thanks)shortietek@aol.com"We exist to educate and through compassion and knowledge improve the lives
of all beings."